Refrigerating cabinet



Jan. 12, 1932. J. E. GLOEKLER REFRIGERATING CABINET Filed Aug. l, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet Jan. l2, 1932. J, E, GLOEKLER f 1,840,943

REFRIGERAT'ING CABINET FiledAug. 1, 19:50 '2 sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE Patented Jan. 123.1932

UNITED STATES PATENT y OFFICE JOHN' EDWARD GLOEXLEB, OI PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA lapplication mea um 1, issu. semi no. 472,331.-

My invention is an improvement in refrigerating cabinets for containing and exhibiting its contents, as meats, vegetables, milk, butter, etc. It has for its object to provide, -in such a cabinet, im roved means for circulation of the refrigerati'ng air in and throughout the interior containing cavity, an improvement in the bottom'construction of such cavity,- longitudinally adjustable and re- I 10,' movable supporting shelf or shelves, means Fig. l2 is a similar transverse vertical section 3 is a partial longitudinal section on the line III-III of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 4 is a perspective sectional detail view on the line IV-IV`of Fig. 3, showing the re- ...movable lmounting for the sliding shelf or "n Pan;

Fig. 5 is aY pant sectional detail view enlar ed, of the condensation preventer.

n cabinets of the same general kind or character as that involved herein, it is usual and customary to provide a main enclosing chamber, surrounded by walls partly of lass for visual inspection from the front or ack, with means for. access to' the chamber 'from the rear, and having communication with an adjacent refrigerating chamber.

Such cabinets are usually more or less elon ated, of rectangular form, mounted upon a ower supporting base or frame adapted lto be arranged in a store room singly or in series in the manner of a counter or counters for convenient inspection from the front an access from the rear, and provided with flat top portions for placement' of inerchandiseor other articles of different kinds.

.5 In my present invention I utilize the essentials of such cabinets, in which there is a general conformity toestablished construction and design, but I have incorporated in the refrigerator certain special constructions as to the several features above enumerated.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating the construction in cross section, Figs. 1, 2 and 3,

A is the main food or other article containing chamber,'located above a bottom main supporting floor 2 u on which is laid a comparatively thick be y 3 of comminu'ted cork or other insulating material.

Such body occupies and constitutes the main lower bottom portion of chamber A, extending' between longitudinal timbers or framing members 4 carriedon the base and arranged backwardly vfrom a front panel or wall 5, of wood or other suitable material.

The cabinet is firml supported upon front wall 6 and a series o rear posts or columns 7 extending u wardly from a lower floor lboard 8, b which the cabinet is mounted on any suita lel supporting floor surface.

A refrigerating chamber a, at the rear of the` cabinet extends longitudinally thereof between the rear wall 9 and an upper removable covering shelf 10, of standard construction, which chamber is in open communication with the front enlarged chamber A.

Such chamber is rovided at its' top with so a covering and enc osing relatively narrow longitudinal to `11 of glass or other suitable material,-rigid y supported upwardly at the proper height by continuous framing, as an upper supporting bar 1,2, indorporated with suitable end framin members, providing between the top and t e forward edge of shelf 10 a communicating passageway for entrance or exit. Such opening is covered by a plurality of 9 longitudinally slidable doors 13 and 14, adapted to pass each other yfor opening and l closing, and preferably mounted at an incline, l as clearly shown. For the purpose of providing for easy and V.convenient slidable mounting of such doors or windows, the inner terminal portion of shelf 10, or'its inner framing member 10a is provided withv a sheet metal sill covering 15 .provided with longitudinal lupwardly ex- Ythe continuous metal supporting bar 17, ex-

.tending upwardly from bottom 2 3, along underneath the top 11` and downwardly at the yfront of the cabinet, and at each end thereof. The lower ends of such bars are ex:

tended inwardly` as indicated in dotted lines foi' securing to the bottoma. construction,

whereby to provide for rigid and serviceable support of the superstructure.

The main front portion of the cabinet consists of'anouter glass window pane 1 8 and an innerparallel pane 19, spaced apart and mounted lat a desired inclination lengthwise of-the cabinet, extending from th'e to(p 11 downwardly toand against the longitu inal framing member of the front. Such memberfispreferably provided with a covering lining '21 ofsheet metal or other suitable material, with suitable intervening packing,

proof as possible.. v

' For the purpose of .dehumidiying or pre- 18 and 19.V I

device consists'sof an elon ated glass tube 23,

hermeticallysealed'at eac end, and containing a central asbestos covered wire 24'and a surrounding. resistancev wire 25, connected' with -the terminals kat one end and in circuit with a controllable source ofcurrent. l. v

By such means acomparatively low degree of heat isgenerated by the current, whereby to 'effect vaporization of anyc'ondensed moisture which may,possibly accumulate in space 22, thus maintaining clear vision of the panes Extending outwardly below or beyond front framing member 2O is the projecting vfront shelf 28, mounted upon the front wall constructiomas clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 20, and is turned-around the front edge of thek providing a half round lin-v 2. For the purpose of providing a finishing cover for such shelf, giving it an attractive and sanitary surface, it is covered by the sheet metal sheathing 29, which may be a continuation of the sheet metal covering 21, or independent thereof. Such sheathing 29 completely covers Shel 28 and also the front ed ge portion of framing extended shelfished edge thereof. v f.

Midway ofthe longimginal withefthp sired. rendering the interior space 22 as moistu're-y i shelf the metal sheathing --29 is upwardly ribbed, as at 30. The purpose of such construction is to provide an amply wide shelf for support of baskets, packages, or the like thereon, while the rib 30 acts to arrest an outward sliding or accidental removal 'of sucli1 supported articles, and materially aids the convenience of customers in their position in front of the cabinet, while making a urchase.

As will be observed, the lower l oor V'surface of bottom 3 slopes continuously down#v wardly infront of the refrigeratingvchamber` a', clear to the outer front bottom rtion of the enlarged chamber A, such sur ace being continuously covered by a'sheet metal'looring 31,' preferably curved upwardly at the bottom and secured against the inner edge' portion of the sheathing 21. y l

Such construction provides not only for. downward circulation of cold air from the refriferating chamber a, and the pipes 32 or other cooling media therein, buty at. the same time provides a continuous smooth and easily cleaned bottom for .the entire lower portion of the cabinet interior. Such bottom covering may be extended upwardly along the back inner portion and to the top` of the chamber a', the shelf 10 being preferably removable for access thereto when de- For the purpose of providinga support for any suitable merchandise, I provide a longitudinally slidable pan 33 of vsheet metal having a rear wall 34.which is supported on arearl longitudinal bar 35 by a narrow outwardly turned lip 36. r

yBottom 33 extends forwardly and slightly downwardly, preferably parallel with the bottom, and is slidably mounted by its lower edge and an upwardly extending turned over lip 37, u on an elongated angle bar 38.)

. Such ar, which 1s referably co-extensive of the full length oft e cabinet, is provided with a plurality vof supporting posts 39, each having a rubber shoetermina 40, adapted to rest upon the sheet metal. covering 31 of the bottom. Y

Bar 38 as thus made is removably mounted 'by 'each end in brackets '41 secured by their flanges 42 and holding screws against the opposite end'walls of the cabinet, as indicated in Fig. 4. Bracket 41 -is of angular shape, extending a short distance outwardly from the flange base 42, the bottom y41 of the bracket and: ,vertical wall 43 conforming to the cross section of angle 38. Wall 43 is provided with a turned over lip 44 adapted to engage the upper edge of angle bar 38 and to hold it securely at each end when inserted. As thus constructed `pan 33 may be shifted longitudinally of thefcabinet to any desired position, Iso as to, support its contents in front of the observer, intermediate spaces at either ros of the user.` The construction of the pan S and its supports provides for easy removal of 'the pan by merely lifting its rear edge upwardly from bar 35 and removing it bodily through the rear window space by adjusting one or more of the windows 13-14.

Bar 38 likewise is readily detached from its supporting brackets by merely turning it outwardly and away from the wall 43 so as to disengage the upper edges of the angle ends from the lips 44, at the same time lifting supporting posts 39 from the floor lsurface so that the angle bar itself may be thus easily removed for cleansing, etc.

The construction, operation, advantages, and use of the cabinet will be readily understood and appreciated from the foregoing description. While it is generally similar to other standard well known refrigerating cabinets7 the several features above enumerated are not only in themselves but in their entire assemblage highly useful and helpful, as well as largely ornamental and attractive in connection with a cabinet of the kind involved.

Having described my invention, what I claim is v: v

l. In a refrigerating cabinet, the combination in an upwardly erected commodity dis'- play enclosing structure as described, of an inclined bottom, rear and front vertical walls, an inwardly extending shelf over the rear y wall providing a refrigerating chamber, up-

wardly and inwardly sloping rear and front Walls above said shelf and the front vertical wall respectively having a covering top and enclosing a commodity containing chamber communleating with the refrigerating chamopposite enclosing walls and each having a lower supporting flange and a vertical flange having a rounded embracing lip providing v separable supporting mountings for the forward supporting rail, said rail being in the form of an an le bar and provided with a plurality of ownwardly extending fixed supportmg posts having rubber coveredA JOHN EDWARD GLOEKLER.

ber, the sloping rear wall bein partly com.- posed of opening and closing oors, and the sloping front wall being composed of spaced apart glass panes with an intervening condensation preventer conslstmg of a continu-v ous glass tube laid along between the bottom edges of the panes and containing a heat generating resistance element in circuit connection with a source of current.

2. In combination with a refrigerating cabinet as described having a main forwardly and downwardly sloping' bottom Vinterior surface, enclosing walls, a rear refrigerating chamber, and a front communicating commodity chamber; a rear longitudinal suplporting rail between said chambers near t e top of the refrigerating chamber, a longitudinal supporting rail parallel therewith and located materially below the rear rail slightly above the forward bottom portion of the commodity chamber, and a supporting pan having arear upwardly extending wall terminating in an edge slidably carried by said rear rail and a front edge slidably supported on the'lower forward rail.

3. A refrigerating cabinet as described in claim 2 characterized by oppositely located brackets secured to the inner faces oftwo 

